One small step for space propulsion, a giant leap for the Northern Ireland economy

Enterprise Minister says Northern Ireland is building a reputation as experts in the space propulsion arena

Third from left is Jim Simpson, Senior Vice President for Strategy & Business Development at Aerojet Rocketdyne, pictured with Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell, third from right, and other representatives from the company

Northern Ireland has the potential to become the Nasa of Europe, according to Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell.

He said we’re building a reputation as experts in the space propulsion arena – the boosters used to keep satellites and other space-going equipment on track – and should be able to claim a large proportion of the huge growth expected in the UK space industry in the next few years.

The minister pointed to the need develop skills amongst the workforce to benefit the space sector and said Invest NI is committed to securing the proper facilities for the industry to operate from.

By creating the right environment, he’s hoping Northern Ireland can benefit from the UK government’s plan to grow the industry to £40billion of annual revenue by 2030 from £10billion currently.

“I want to ensure that Northern Ireland secures a significant proportion of this growth and this can only be achieved by building on the strengths and capabilities of our companies,” the minister said.

He was speaking after a meeting with Castlereagh-based Aerojet Rocketdyne which owns European Space Propulsion (ESP), a company which is making propulsion products for the space industry here.

He added: “The arrival of Aerojet and their UK Company European Space Propulsion Ltd here has brought significant benefits to Northern Ireland. Both I and ESP believe there is a real opportunity to make Northern Ireland the focal point for space propulsion in Europe through participation in the European Space Agency Service Module programme.

“The Northern Ireland Partnering for Growth Strategy, launched in 2014, has set the direction for our space sector to ensure we stay ahead of the competition in this high-value sector.

"Having previously met with Aerojet Rocketdyne in Belfast and at the Paris Air show in July 2015, I welcome the opportunity to discuss further how we can support and grow the ESP operations as a key component of the emerging Northern Ireland Space Sector.”